Replacment
by NightMoonShine
Summary: Tim reflects on Jason's nickname for him. One-shot.
1. Chapter 1

"Replacement..." Every time Jason calls him that, it stings. Not quite as much as the first time. Jason's voice suggests that it is only a nickname, not a vile piece of anger slipping from his tongue, although it could very well be both. His voice is like venom on a snake, dripping from his teeth, filling his own bloodstream. He would yell out and scream as Jason grins evilly.

"Replacement..." He shouldn't think much of it, after all Jason calls Dick- Dickie-Bird and Damien- Demon spawn. Yet, he can't ignore the emotion hidden behind Jason's eyes, even in his Red Hood outfit and helmet. Sadness and pain flows off of him. Every time Tim thinks of this, he get a tightening in his chest, it is a blue and purple emptiness where his heart should be. As if he can feel what his brother feels, there seems to be nothing there. However. After feeling the hole of black abyss, you notice the undignified madness and corrupt soul he is burdened with.

"Replacement..." He despises me, Tim's first reaction to the name is always something among those lines. He absolutely loathes me, he detests me. Tears would linger in his eyes. What have i done? He will constantly ask, confusion filling every inch of him. Will he try and destroy me, corrupt me like he is? When he thinks those thoughts, he instantly regrets it. Bruce told him Jason was the traitor, the enemy. The rouge soldier. Maybe he did deserve the names, he subconsciously sees Jason as Bruce wants him too.

Tim sobbed, he was crouched over his bed. He pondered on the name: replacement. He let out another strangled cry. His lip quivered, as much as he tried, he couldn't stop the emotions from flooding out of him. Wet tears made their way down his face. He tried to quiet down, putting his hand over his mouth. Footsteps approached.

"Replac- Tim?" Jason asked, practically running over to the younger boy's bed. The older boy enveloped Tim in a warm possessive hug. He rubbed a hand up and down his back, wiping the tears off his face.

"Tim...?" Jason tried again.

"D-do you..." he struggled. "do you h-hate me?" Jason pulled away, shocked.

"No! God no." He whispered in Tim's hair, still stroking his back. Tim clung to him, dampening Jason's shirt with tears.

"W-why do you call me replacement?" The small boy inquired. Jason's breath hitched. "Its just a nickname. Doesn't mean anything." he tried, when the boy shook harder under him, he tried again. "Tim... At first. At first it was just, I don't think of you like that anymore. I thought you would be like Bruce, i thought you would hate me, so I didn't spare the hostility." He confessed.

"I did think of you like Bruce said." Tim told him. "I- I thought that somehow, you could be a traitor. A- a lost, angry, sad boy. But you're not horrible like he tried to drill into my head. Your not- that person. Your better." Tim whispered. Jason nodded.

"What if i am- lost, angry, sad?" He demanded, regret filled his eyes. "I have killed so many people, maybe Bruce was right to tell you those things." He murmured.

Tim shook his head, his back hair tossed itself as he did so. "You're not a bad person. And you are no longer lost, you're found. You have family, there is no need to be sad. You have Dick, Damien, my replacement." He joked half-heartedly. "And me. We will never leave you, you're our brother." Jason smiled gratefully. "And as for anger, there will always be that."

The cuddled for the rest of the night, sleeping safely in each other's arms. Tim knowing Jason loves him, Jason knowing Tim and his other brothers have his back. He vowed that he will always have their backs in return. That is what family is.


	2. Chapter 2 Jason Pov

Jason walked down the hall. A strangled sob came from Tim's room. Suddenly worried, Jason speed-walked to the room and burst through the door.

"Replac-...Tim?" He caught himself.

The young boy was curled up on his bed, tears streaming down his face, his breath was face paced. Jason pulled Tim into his arms, a strange feeling of protectiveness took over him. Since when am i this caring? He wondered.

"Tim?" He whispered, trying to look into his eyes.

"D-do you..." Tim struggled. "do you h-hate me?" Jason pulled back, immediately missing the warmth of his little brother. He recovered quickly. "No! God no." He told Tim. Maybe at first he hated the boy, like he did Bruce, but not now, hell no. Tim was his little brother! It was his job to protect him, just like Dick thought it was his job to protect Jason. Sure, this wasn't the same. Jason could take care of myself, Dick just provided the brotherly comfort and excessive snooping that caused his birthdays to be loud with lots of people. Which he didn't mind as much as he lead on.

Jason was brought back to earth when he heard Tim's whimpering trying to turn into words.

"Why do you call me replacement?" He cried into Jason's red shirt, he felt sorry for him.

'It is easy to forget how young he is, hell, how young we all are.' Jason noted. 'The things we've seen, even in Gotham, is more than the average person.'

"It's just a nickname. Doesn't mean anything." He didn't know what else to say, all he could do is hope that he said the right thing. Jason squeezed the kid tighter. He had been wrong. When he first came back he thought he was the failure of the family, he thought Bruce replaced him to try and forget him. He didn't think about what had really happened. If Tim had any similarities between him and Dick, his parents where most likely dead.

He needed to clarify. He wanted Tim to know the truth, yeah, it makes him look sort of like an asshole, but his baby brother needs it. "Tim... At first. At first it was just, I don't think of you like that anymore. I thought you would be like Bruce, I thought you would hate me, so I didn't spare the hostility." Tim's shoulders sagged, then he removed himself from him. 'Did i fuck up? Give me a sign kid!' Jason pleaded silently.

"I did think of you like Bruce said." Shit, i fucked up, didn't I? The kid's face betrayed no emotion, not any that he can detect. "I- I thought that somehow, you could be a traitor. A- a lost, angry, sad boy. But you're not horrible like he tried to drill into my head. Your not- that person. Your better." Jason nodded, unable to do anything else yet. He gathered up his thoughts, what if...?

"What if i am- lost, angry, sad?" The older boy felt the need to get defensive, but instead remained calm, the best he could. Pain filled his chest, he stared to breath faster. "I have killed so many people, maybe Bruce was right to tell you those things." He whispered. Mentally scolding himself, he sounded just as broken as he was afraid he was. Tim shook his head, his bangs swung as he did.

"You're not a bad person. And you are no longer lost, your found. You have family, there is no need to be sad. You have Dick, Damien, my replacement." He joked half-heartedly, a smile began to form on his face. "And me. We will never leave you, your our brother." Jason smiled gratefully. "And as for anger, there will always be that."

"How is it that I'm the one supposed to be comforting you, but you end up comforting me?" Jason whispered into Tim's hair, who smiled.

"We can comfort each other, that's what brothers do."


End file.
